# US 2014/0190681 A1 · Energy efficiency based control for a cooling system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190681 A1 - Document ID: US20140190681A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/738,980 - Filed: 2013-01-10 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Timothy J. Chainer; Pritish R. Parida; Mark D. Schultz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190681A1 ## CPC - H05K 7/20836: {Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract A method for controlling a cooling system based on a heat dissipation of an electronic module and an ambient air temperature includes determining a combination of individual controls on components of the cooling system that achieve a specific amount of cooling based on a cooling power relationship for the plurality of components, the heat dissipation of the electronic module and the ambient air temperature, and applying the individual controls to the plurality of components. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a cooling system based on a heat dissipation of an electronic module and an ambient air temperature, said method comprising: determining a combination of individual controls on a plurality of components of said cooling system that achieve a specific amount of cooling based on a cooling power relationship for said plurality of components, said heat dissipation of said electronic module and said ambient air temperature; and applying said individual controls to said plurality of components. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a high coolant temperature target; and engaging said method controlling said individual components. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a intermediate coolant temperature target; disengaging said method controlling said individual components; and engaging said cooling system at a low setting. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: determining a low coolant temperature target; and controlling said control system to maintain a coolant temperature of said cooling system above said low coolant temperature target. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein said low coolant temperature target is greater than or equal to a dew point. ### Claim 6 A method for controlling a cooling system comprising: determining a relationship between a delta temperature and a power usage for each of a plurality of cooling components of said cooling system; determining a low power setting from a combination of said relationships for said plurality of cooling components to maintain a temperature of interest at or below a target temperature; and generating a control signal to said plurality of cooling components according to said low power setting. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein said temperature of interest is one of a coolant temperature in said cooling system and a temperature of an electronic module being cooled by said cooling system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein said low power setting is implemented as part of a dynamic feedback control system to maintain said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, in which said dynamic feedback control system utilizes a predictive control and an error feedback control to maintain said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein said control signal controls each of said plurality of cooling components independently of one another to maintain said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of cooling components includes a pump and a fan, and wherein said control signal controls a flow rate of said pump and a speed of said fan. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of cooling components includes a recirculating valve for bypassing a heat rejection unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising determining an error signal, wherein said control signal is determined based on said error signal, and wherein said error signal is a feedback signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein said error signal is evaluated using one of a Proportional control, a Proportional-Integral control and a Proportional-Integral-Derivative control. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: detecting an ambient temperature; maintaining said temperature of interest above said ambient temperature; and maintaining said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 16 A computer program product for controlling a cooling system, the computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising: computer readable program code configured to determine a relationship between a delta temperature and a power usage for each of a plurality of cooling components of said cooling system; computer readable program code configured to determine a low power setting from a combination of said relationships for said plurality of cooling components to maintain a temperature of interest at or below a target temperature; and computer readable program code configured to generate a control signal to said plurality of cooling components according to said low power setting. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said temperature of interest is one of a coolant temperature in said cooling system and a temperature of an electronic module being cooled by said cooling system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said low power setting is implemented as part of a dynamic feedback control system to maintain said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said dynamic feedback control system utilizes a predictive control and an error feedback control to maintain said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said control signal controls each of said plurality of cooling components independently of one another to maintain said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said plurality of cooling components includes a pump and a fan, and wherein said control signal controls a flow rate of said pump and a speed of said fan. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said plurality of cooling components includes a recirculating valve for bypassing a heat rejection unit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer readable program code configured to determine an error signal, wherein said control signal is determined based on said error signal, and wherein said error signal is a feedback signal. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The computer program product of claim 23, wherein said error signal is evaluated using one of a Proportional control, a Proportional-Integral control and a Proportional-Integral-Derivative control. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising: computer readable program code configured to detect an ambient temperature; computer readable program code configured to maintain said temperature of interest above said ambient temperature; and computer readable program code configured to maintain said temperature of interest at or below said target temperature. ### Claim 26 A control system cooling at least one electronic module, said control system comprising: a pump for pumping a coolant; a fan disposed at a heat rejection unit; and a controller controlling said pump and said fan individually based on a cooling power relationship, a heat dissipation of said electronic module and an ambient air temperature, wherein said cooling power relationship is a combination of a first relationship between a delta temperature and a power usage determined for said pump and a second relationship between a delta temperature and a power usage determined for said fan. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The control system of claim 26, further comprising a recirculating valve for controlling said coolant to bypass said heat rejection unit.